Bed.



No. 639,703. Patented Dec. 26, 1899.

a. w. BENT.

B E D (Application filed. Sept. 26, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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UNiTED STATES PATENT Fries.

GEORGE TV. BENT, OF HYDE PARK, MASSACHUSETTS.

BED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Eatent No. 639,703,-dated December 26, 1899. Application filed September 26, 1899. Serial No. 731,716. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. BENT, a citizen of the United States, residing in Hyde Park, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Beds, of'which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and numerals on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to a bed and is herein shown as embodied in a bed of that class known as a crib.

The invention has for its object to provide a light, strong, and inexpensive crib having? head and foot frames and side frames which are attached to the bed-bottom sothat preferably the head and foot frames may be folded under said bed-bottom and the side frames folded over the bed-bottom for ease in shipment and economy in storing the crib when not in use. The folding side frames and head and foot frames are detachably connected together in their operative position, as will be described. The head and foot frames are connected to the bed-bottom, as will be described, so that they may be brought close to and substantially parallel with the bed-bottom in-their folded position, which may be referred to as their inoperative position. These and other features of this invention will be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 represents a bed or crib embodying this invention in its operative position. Fig. 2 represents the bed or crib in its knockeddown or inoperative position; Fig. 3, a detail showingthe manner of attaching the head and foot frames to the bed-bottom, said view being an inverted plan; and Fig. 4, a detail in section, on an enlarged scale, the section being taken on the line 4, Fig. 2, with the head-frame partially folded under the bed-bottom.

In order to produce a small bed or crib which will be light, strong, and inexpensive, the parts of said bed are made of Wrought-iron pieces riveted or otherwise secured together. The bed or crib herein shown comprises a bedbottom having side rails a b and end rails c d, of angle-iron, screwed or bolted together and a wire fabric 6, fastened to the said end rails. The angle-iron structure of the bed-bottom enables the bed-bottom to be made of a minimum weight, and consequently at a minimum cost, and the bed-bottom thus made is rendered of the desired stiffness by corner bracebars f, attached to the under side of the side and end rails, the said brace-bars being bent at one end (see Fig. 4) to extend up under the angle-iron end rail, which is attached to the side rails with the apex uppermost.

The corner brace-bars f are provided, as shown,with downwardly-projecting lugs g, extended substantially at right angles to the said bars for a purpose as will be described. The head and foot frames are preferably of like construction and are each composed, as herein shown, of upright sections 2 3 and atop section 4, madeby bending a single piece of iron, and to these sections are riveted or otherwise secured braces 5, 6, and 7, made of pieces of metal, the said braces being riveted or otherwise secured together near the center of the head and foot frames, as shown in Fig. 1.

Each side section of the head and foot frames is pivotally attached to a side rail of the bed-bottom by a link 10, which is secured at its inner end to the inner side of the angleiron side rail, as at 12, and'at its opposite end to the outer side of the upright section, as at 13. Each upright section of the head and foot frames has also pivotally connected to its inner side, as at 14, one end of a shorter link 15, which has its opposite end pivotally connected to the outer side of the lug g on a corner-brace. This construction enables the upright sections of the head and foot frames to be brought close to the inner side of the angle-iron side rails when the said head and foot frames are folded under the bed-bottom and occupy a position substantially parallel therewith, as shown in Fig. 2.

The angle-iron side rails of the bed-bottom have pivoted to them side frames, preferably of like construction, and each comprising, as herein shown, a top piece 21, extended longitudinally of the bed, vertical pieces 22 23, and diagonal pieces 24, secured to said vertical pieces. In the present instance the vertical pieces 22 are bent or twisted at their lower ends and pivoted to upright lugs 25, attached to the side rails, so that said side frames may be folded toward each other over the bed-bottom to occupy positions substantially parallel therewith, as shown in Fig. 2, or either side frame may be turned down alongside of the bed-bottom.

The side frames maybe detachably connected with the head and foot frames in any suitable manner, and in the present instance this connection is effected by rings 30, loose on the head and foot frames and adapted to fit over and engage the upturned ends 31 of the top bar of the side frames. By this means the side frames may be secured to the head and foot frames, and they may be quickly disconnected therefrom by moving the said rings along on the head and foot frames until they are slipped off from the upturned ends of the top bars 21.

The bed or crib herein shown is light, strong, and inexpensive and is especially. designed and adapted for use by poor people, and by reason of its ability to be folded or knocked down, as shown in Fig. 2, it can be stored in a substantially small space when not in use and can be conveniently shipped in large numbers at a minimum expense.

In practice the crib may be provided with casters, (not herein shown,) which may be attached to the inwardly-bentlower ends of the upright sections of the head and foot frames.

I claim- 1. In a bed, the combination with a bedbottom comprising metal side rails and metal end rails secured to said side rails, of metal head and foot frames pivotally attached to the bed-bottom to fold under the same, metal side frames pivoted to said bed-bottom to fold over the same, and means to connect said frames in their upright or operative position, substantially as described.

2. In a bed, the combination with a bedbottom comprising, metal side and end rails secured together, a fabric fastened to said end rails, and corner brace-bars secured to said side and end rails, of an end frame pivotally secured to said side rails and to said corner brace-bars to fold under the bed-bottom, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a bed, the combination with a bedbottom comprising angle-iron side rails, angle-iron end rails secured to the upper side of the said side rails with the apex uppermost, and-a wire fabric fastened to the said end rails, of metal head and foot frames pivoted to the bed-bottom to fold under the same, metal side frames pivoted to the side rails of the bed-bottom, and means to connect said head and foot frames with said side frames in their upright position, substantially as described.

4. In a bed, the combination with a bedbottom comprising metal side and end rails fastened together, a wire fabric secured to said end rails, corner brace-bars secured to said side and end rails and provided with lugs projecting substantially at right angles to said bars, of head and foot frames adapted to be folded under the bed-bottom, links pivoted at one end to said head and foot frames and at their other ends to said side rails, a second set of links pivoted to said frames and to the lugs on the corner-braces, and side frames pivotally connected to said side rails to fold toward each other over the bed-bottom, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my.

name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE \V. BENT. Witnesses:

J AS. H. CHURCHILL,

J. MURPHY. 

